Cool Bug - Cicada?

I was mowing the lawn yesterday with my awesome electric lawn mower. It sounds like a really loud vacuum and I don't have to buy gas for it. Anyway. I heard a buggy noise OVER the sound of the lawn mower. So of course, I stopped mowing to find out what it was.

I found this guy/gal:

Look at the amazing clear wings. Awesome markings and colors.

View from the front:

It wasn't a small bug. My thumb is right next to it despite the fact the my camera decided to focus on my thumb. I don't know if this bug is a cicada or not. It's a lot bigger than I thought they were. It wasn't afraid though. I was right up close to it and I even touched it. It didn't fly away until it realized I was coming it's way with the mower.

Bug Patrol - Meet the Flock

As of last Sunday I had a flock of 4 chickens. As of yesterday I have a flock of 2 chickens. My two mix breed pullets (to big to be a chick to small to be a chicken. It's the actual term.) Tom and Dick, have disappeared. I am unclear as to whether they got taken by something as we have alot of hawks, or if they found a hole they could get through and ran away to be eaten by something. Either way until the third Sunday of September, the date of the next Swap Meet and my next opportunity to get more chickens, I have just two.

Without further ado meet Henrietta and her boyfriend Steve.
Henrietta ^
Steve ^

Henrietta and Steve are Ameraucana chickens. When Henrietta settles in and begins laying her eggs should be a blue/green color.

The Ameraucana was developed in the 70's by a few people who were trying to standardize the Araucana breed. The Ameraucana is easier to breed as there are no complications due to lethal genes. *Quoted from backyardchickens.com

This is my little chicken coop. Big enough for 4 chickens and I painted it green.

Busy hunting bugs. I'm not sure if it's normal for chickens to go to bed at 630 pm and wake at 0430 but that seems to be their pattern. Steve is very prompt about waking the entire state up at 0430. But he doesn't stop there. He pays tribute to the sun for as long as the sun is in the sky.

The War Against the Hornworms

Tomato Hornworms are beautiful, bright green caterpillars with black stripes and a red horn on the bum end. I was so excited when I found the first one.
Then I realized it was eating all the leaves and the tomatoes off my plants.
After some research and a lot of trial and error I found the only way to get rid of these pretty pests was to pick them off by hand and drown them in a bucket of soapy water. Make sure it's soapy water as the soap helps break the surface tension of the water so the worms can't hold their heads above the water. Don't be shocked if you grab one of these and they spit sticky green stuff on you. Or if they whip their heads around and make clicking/chomping noises. It's all show. Just grip the little beasty tightly and pull. Your tomatoes will thank you.

I have experienced two separate hornworm hatchings. The first started in the spring while the plants were still young but had flowers and a few green tomatoes. My official count was 23 individual hornworms. This second hatching has so far brought out 8 hornworms. One of which was especially large.All in all while these are fantastic looking caterpillars I don't have a very high opinion of them and wish they would stay out of my garden.

Traveling with Kids: One parent, 2 kids.

This past weekend I did something many people told me was brave. By the end of my experience I realized I wasn't brave, I was padded room crazy.

I took my two children, aged 2 and 11 weeks, through a total of 4 airports and on 4 airplanes.

Alone.

Completely.

Crazy.

Picture it. Me. Pulling a red rolling suitcase to which is strapped my daughters car seat. My daughter is in the car seat with her little backpack, blanket, stuffed dog, dino, and sippy cup. On top of my little red suitcase is the diaper bag, boppy pillow, and lunch bag with sippy refills. I am wearing the baby in an infantino front carrier. It was effective and back breaking. It was more effective on the trip home that the trip out but some bugs with the straps got worked out.

Here's some advice I will be taking for the next trip:

1. Triple check the time of your flights before you click the BUY button. This will prevent arriving at the destination at 1 am and having to be to the airport at 430am on the return trip.

2. Book directly with the company your traveling with. Airlines let you change flight times, rental car companies would have your credit card on file for their security requirements. Prevents having to get a taxi at 1am. I got lucky and the taxi meter stopped at $56. I only had $60. Talk about a heart pounding taxi ride.

3. Get the CARES Harness. This is the only FAA approved child seat restraint that isn't a car seat. Most people don't realize that the FAA requires that all children under 40 lbs be in an approved child restraint system. Which normally means having to bring the car seat. My harness' have already arrived. It was the first thing I did upon arriving home. Next time the car seats will be checked baggage.

4. Book a hotel that offers breakfast. Any breakfast. Bagel and coffee, it doesn't matter. When you are alone with two kids, have no car, and are outside of the reasonable toddler walking distance from a restaurant, some kind of breakfast on site is a sanity savor. Even if it costs a bit more.

Some people have told me that I should have canceled our trip because of the difficulties we were experiencing. Some other people, and alot of the same people, told me that next time I shouldn't even think about it. To those people I say no. Just because I'm alone with two young kids doesn't mean we have to stay home. Lifes an adventure and we will share the adventure no matter the obstacles.

:)

The Bugs of the Prairie

Ok so it's not exactly the prairie. But if you travel straight west for at least an hour things do flatten out. And there are alot of bugs here. I like interesting bugs. The bugs I don't like bite, or have more than 6 legs, and jump at me.

This is a garden grub. I found him while pulling weeds.
This is a moth caterpillar. We found him in the grass. He was fuzzy and made my fingers hurt from his odd fuzz.


This is a leaf bug. He was about 2 inches long and looked funny when he flew away.
This wee worm is an Army worm. He was enjoying my tomato plants.
The Squash Bugs and Cucumber Beetles remain a problem. All of my squash plants have died. I'm so sad that my zucchini bread will have to come from someone elses garden.

Garden Booty

No no, not that kind of Garden Booty.

This kind:
Not bad for my first haul. And tasty! The flavor coming out of each of these fruits and veggies is nock-me-on-my-ass good.

Emblished Target Dress

I bought this dress from Target the other day. I brought it home with the thought of possibly enriching it.

So I removed the black lace from the neckline and above the skirt ruffle and added some bright pink ric rac
and made two flowers from the leftover lace and pink ric rak.